For the frosting

This is a soft, smooth curd cheese with a refreshingly light acidity. It ranges from low-fat…

3 tbsp sifted icing sugar

½ tsp finely grated orange zest

1 ½ tsp lemon juice

Method

Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. For the cake, finely grate the zest from the orange and squeeze 3 tbsp of juice. Pour the juice over the raisins in a bowl, stir in zest, then leave to soak while you make the cake. Lightly oil and line the base of a deep 20cm square cake tin. Mix the flours with 1 tsp baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon.

Separate one of the eggs. Put the white in a small bowl and the yolk in a large one. Break the remaining whole egg in with the yolk, then tip in the sugar. Whisk together for 1-2 mins until thick and foamy. Slowly pour in the oil and continue to whisk on a low speed until well mixed. Tip in the flour mix, half at a time, and gently stir it into the egg mixture with a rubber spatula or big spoon. The mix will be quite stiff. Put the extra pinch of baking powder in with the egg white and whisk to soft peaks.

Fold the carrot, raisins (and any liquid) into the flour mixture. Gently fold in the whisked egg white, then pour into the tin. Jiggle the tin to level the mixture. Bake for 1 hr until risen and firm or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin 5 mins, turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the paper, then leave until cold.

To make the frosting, stir the soft cheese, Quark, icing sugar and orange zest together - don't overbeat. Stir in the lemon juice. Swirl the frosting over the cake and cut into 16 square. This cake is even better if left well wrapped for a day or two before icing and eating. Will keep up to 5 days uniced in an airtight tin, or in the fridge if iced.

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Comments, questions and tips

This cake is the best! I follow the recipe to the letter every time and it's perfect, except I normally add a bit more cinnamon and some ginger. If you can't get quark it works fine with double the amount of cream cheese. It's such a great carrot cake that all other carrot cakes pale in comparison!

jamietshaw

19th Jun, 2016

As others have said, a bit of a hassle, but turns out really well. Step 2 could have been split up to make it easier to follow.
• Mine needed 65 minutes in the oven.
• If you only have one decent large bowl, save it for step 2.
• I didn’t have an orange handy but used some Cointreau instead!
• I couldn’t find a 140g raisin so I used 140g’s worth of regular-sized ones :)

Caketoppers

3rd Nov, 2015

3.8

I've just made this for the second time and it came out perfect again! I used sultanas instead of raisins and the idea of soaking them in orange juice is genius. I left mine overnight for extra plumpness. I only used 100g of sultanas and added 100g of chopped walnuts. I also used plain flour only. The icing didn't work the first time, but it's fine without as the sponge is so moist. The second time I used ready-made frosting and added in some half-fat Marscapone, which worked better. It wasn't much more effort than my old full-fat recipe, just a bit of extra washing up with the egg-white whisking. I freeze the individual portions in little bags, they defrost very quickly and taste just as good!

mandnlee

15th Oct, 2015

2.55

Just made this, and it is a faff, but delicious,light and not too sweet. Swapped wholemeal flour for rolled oats and raisins for chopped dates, did the normal icing sugar/orange juice topping. Lovely. Will make again, just when I have time! Would have been 3 1/2 stars if poss.

Ebebebb

8th Aug, 2015

5.05

Delicious. A faff to make but worth it! I'm not a great fan of carrot cake so I reduced the carrot and used one apple and a couple of pears to make up the weight. I added a tsp of mixed spice and upped the cinnamon slightly too. I didn't bother with the icing but served it first as dessert, warm and with Greek yogurt, and then had the leftovers with a bit of butter the next day. I might increase the amount of dried fruit next time, and possibly add some nuts and seeds too.

cshobbs

20th Mar, 2015

5.05

I have tried many carrot cake recipes and this was one of the best.
However I didn't make the frosting but instead topped the cake with pecan halves.
I used gluten free flour.
Next time I will try light muscovado and add some chopped nuts.

Balina

19th Nov, 2014

5.05

Lovely, lovely cake. My husband said this is the best carrot cake he's ever had. The orange in it is lovely, used plain flour as I didn't have wholemeal and vegetable oil, also didn't have quark so used full fat cream cheese and a bit of soft butter, had to use more sugar as the frosting was a bit runny, delicious without the frosting too. Thank you, BBC GF.

cmdx3

22nd Jul, 2014

5.05

I have used the cake recipe (adapted) plenty of times, and its lovely. I always add walnuts, and use sunflower oil- and you can definitely leave out the orange zest too. I like it on its own, so I have never tried the frosting here.

amp1043

16th Jul, 2014

3.8

I thought I had messed this up but it turned out almost perfect! I had only plain flour, put the eggs in at the wrong time and it was too late before I realized I didn't have any oil and had to use melted butter instead. Very, very happy with the results.

zoetcm

25th Jun, 2014

5.05

This turned out delicous! Beautifully moist and fluffy cake. I didnt have any wholemeal flour so used plain flour and i didn't have any quark so used a different cream cheese icing recipe. Thumbs up from me! :-)

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